More Trouble with Werewolves
by Little Orange Frog
Summary: It's her first date. Nothing could go wrong while she's with Jake, could it? Amidst the klutziness, the slutty waitress, and then Mike Newton, she finds her self wondering what she was thinking. SEQUEL to TROUBLE WITH WEREWOLVES
1. The Notebook

**DISCLAIMER: I NO NOT OWN ANYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH TWILIGHT or THE NOTEBOOK.  
**

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I smiled as the sun started to sink gracefully behind the horizon. Jake and I were sitting on the edge of a cliff together, holding hands. Actually, it probably looked more like we were sitting on each other's laps, but I didn't mind at all. Just the thought of his perfect body made my heart skip beats. The last of the day folded in on itself as we watched in peaceful silence. The waves pounded the rock below us rhythmically and I found myself leaning on Jake's shoulder, half asleep.

He rested his cheek against my hair gently and I sighed. It felt so incredibly perfect. It had been less than a week, three days to be exact, since he had told me about imprinting; it seemed like so much longer. Everything just seemed to fall into place and I cherished every minute I had with him. My parents had been surprisingly cool with it, though I guess they had known all along, and Leah had started hanging around the house more, which was…interesting.

Now that the sun had set, it had gotten cooler and I snuggled closer to Jake. I probably would have fallen asleep had my back pocket not started vibrating. I had jumped a foot in the hair and let out a squeak before I realized what it was.

"That's the last time I put my phone in my back pocket," I muttered absentmindedly as Jake chuckled quietly at my over-reaction.

"You shoulda' seen your face." He laughed. I pressed the phone to my ear tentatively, expecting to hear Rosalie's voice. Instead it was Emmett's booming words that came through the phone.

"Hey Nessie," the voice said.

"Hey Emmett. What's up?" I could hear a subtle shrieking in the background.

"I have a message to relay."

"Shoot."

"Rose said to come home. She's afraid you and _him_ might be up to some trouble." The tone he used made me blush.

"M'kay, thanks Emmett." I said, trying to get the color to leave my face via deep breaths. No such luck. I could now hear Rose more clearly and she seemed to be yelling about withholding sex. There was a loud thwack and the phone changed hands.

"Renesmee, sweetie, I'm not implying anything, of course, but its getting late. Your parents are worried."

"It's not even eight o'clock yet."

"I said your parents are worried." Her voice had grown more intimidating, so I just let it go.

"Alright, I'll be home soon."

"Bye-bye," with that she hung up and I snapped my cell phone shut. Jake gave me a look and I just rolled my eyes.

"Mom and Dad want me home." I said as a sort of explanation. He shook his head.

"Rose thinks we 'might be up to some trouble'." I diverted my eyes.

"No she doesn't. Besides, what kind of trouble could we possibly get into?"

"She thinks I'm trying to seduce you." My whole face turned bright red as I heard this and I stood up quickly, making my way towards the car. I muttered a reply over my shoulder, hoping he would hear.

"Of course not, she knows better." I thought I heard him laugh as he stood as well and followed.

We climbed into the Rabbit and I stared at the window intent on not saying anything.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked sweetly, no trace of apology in his voice. I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly, but otherwise ignored him. Of course I wasn't mad, I was irritated, and slightly embarrassed. Why did everyone think me and Jake had a physical relationship? It had been three days.

"Is that a no?" I saw his reflection in the dirty window and rolled my eyes. He was using his puppy dog eyes, which had too much effect on me for my own good.

"No, I'm not mad," I sighed huffily and turned my upper body so I was facing him. He leaned across the little space between us and kissed me. I kissed him back and after a moment we broke away smiling. Whenever he kissed me, it made my head spin, and most coherent thoughts flew from my mind.

"We need to go home." I said firmly, trying to remember that my as he snorted and put the car in drive.

As we pulled up to the house I could see Rose pacing around the living room. She was so weird about me spending time with Jake. What she needed was a hobby. We walked through the door, our hands entwined and she instantly stopped her pacing. She gave Jacob a warning smile and then sat down on the couch beside Emmett, who was watching football. We went to sit on the couch opposite from them.

The television erupted in cheers.

"Who's winning?" Jake asked.

"Florida. They just scored the first touchdown," my uncle replied, giving me a really mischievous grin. "It's about time somebody scored around here." Then he wagged his eyebrows like the pervert that he was. In front of Jake? Really? Rosalie punched him in the arm, but it didn't faze him.

"Let's watch a movie instead," I said frostily, hoping my annoyance would register in his thick skull.

"What movie would you like to watch?" Rose answered.

"Let's watch The Notebook," I decided, I fetching the DVD and starting the movie. I settled into Jake's arms and watched as Noah and Allie played across the screen. It was one of my favorite movies, had been since I could remember. Rose snuck out to make me a bowl of popcorn, which I also adored, and was back in time for one of our favorite scenes.

"_Will you go out with me?  
_

_What? No.  
_

_No...?  
_

_No.  
_

_Why not?  
_

_I dunno, because I don't want to.  
_

_OK, then you leave me no other choice.  
_

_AHHHH  
_

_I'm gonna ask you one more time, will you or will you not go out with me? I think my hand's slipping.  
_

_OK, OK. Fine I'll go out with you  
_

_No, don't do me any favors.  
_

_No, no I want to.  
_

_Say it.  
_

_I wanna go out with you.  
_

_Say it again. _

_I WANNA GO OUT WITH YOU!  
_

_All right, all right we'll go out."*_

I smiled, content. It was so sweet when he asked her out on their first date. Even though it was overdramatic and slightly suicidal, it was still way romantic. I figured Jake would have been asleep by then; he and Seth didn't seem to like chick flicks. To my surprise he was intently absorbed in the movie. His brow was slightly furrowed, as though he were deep in thought, so I made a mental note to ask him about it later, but turned my attention back to the flat screen.

I was crying before the movie was halfway over. My hand was resting in Jacob's, and as my eyes started to leak salty tears he rubbed soothing circles on my palm with his thumb. It felt comforting, which made me cry harder because he really did care.

It almost felt wrong for him to care about me so much. It felt so right when we were together, but it made me wonder what I had done to deserve him. I had read about heartbreak and agony, but our relationship had fallen into place effortlessly and without delay. Why did I get off the hook so easily when others like Leah worked long and hard for a relationship that would never last? Was it pure luck?

After the movie, Rose and Emmett told me goodnight and gave Jake a look as if to say they wanted him out. He just rolled his eyes when they turned away from us. I decided I would sleep on the couch since Mom and Dad were surely occupied and probably wouldn't want me in the cottage. I grabbed a spare pillow and blanket from the closet under the stairs and kicked my shoes off. I had slept on the couch before, but it was weird with Jake watching my every move. I wanted to take my jeans off and just sleep in my shirt and panties. That would be hard to do if he didn't leave soon.

"So, um, are you gonna sleep here tonight?" I asked Jake nonchalantly as I fluffed my pillow. He snorted.

"Nessie, your mother would kill me if she found us together on the sofa."

"Yes, that would be bad."

"So, I should probably go." But instead of walking towards the door he took a few steps closer to me.

"Yeah, you should probably go," Taking my hands in his, he smiled.

"Goodbye then," he said as he hugged me close.

"Yeah, goodbye then," I felt my heartbeat go haywire as I leaned into his warm chest. He kissed the top of my head and I sighed heavily. He had to leave, before Rose came downstairs and threw him out.

I placed a shaky hand on his chest to push him away, and then sank down to the couch. I lied down and pulled the coverlet over my body. He looked at me for a few minutes before he went to sit on the nearest armchair. I kept my eyes on him warily. He was driving me crazy.

"Goodnight Jake." I hoped he could hear the expectancy in my voice. He had to go home.

"Goodnight dear," he replied, leaning back and kicking his feet up onto the coffee table.

"Get your feet down," I commanded, more out of habit than anything. He laughed, but took his dirty sneakers off Esme's furniture. We sat in silence for a few minutes and I could feel my eyelids starting to close.

"What are you doing?" I asked working to keep my eyes open.

"I'm sitting here waiting for you to go to sleep."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I like to watch you sleep." Okay, that was way weird.

"Do you have any idea how stalker-ish that sounds?"

"Yeah, a little bit."

"So when do you ever watch me sleep?"

"When you fall asleep in my car, or sometimes, like tonight when you sleep on the couch."

"Now I won't be able to go to sleep; I feel self-conscious." A look of worry crossed his face.

"Do you want me to leave?" I thought about that for a moment weighing over my options. Option 1: he stays and we both get into trouble. Option 2: he leaves and neither of us gets in trouble.

"You can stay," I decided. The wrinkles on his forehead smoothed out and he leaned back farther back into the couch.

"Would you like me to sing you to sleep?" He asked after a moment. I was kinda taken back by the question, but I shook my head slowly. I had heard him sing once, when Seth and he were playing Rock Band; to say it was awful would be an understatement.

"That's alright. I'll be okay. I'm gonna try to go sleep now." He didn't answer, so I shut my eyes tight and tried to think about ponies; happy ponies that sing and dance with the rainbow colored flowers. I consciously slowed my breathing and I started to feel the drowsiness pull me towards sleep. As I began to drift, I thought I heard Jake move from his place on the opposite side of the room, but I paid it no mind. I was asleep in a matter of minutes.

***

In my dream there were lots of ponies. There was a pony that sorta resembled Jake's wolf form, with reddish-brown fur, big brown eyes, and a jet black mane. There was a blond pony that kept biting the Jake-pony. There was a tiny gray pony that was sitting with a chocolate colored pony. Then I realized that I was a pony too. My pony persona had auburn colored fur and an auburn colored mane that hung in ringlets. (I had never seen a pony with a curly mane before.) And while all the pony personas hung out, I took in the mystical alternative universe around us. Truth be told, it looked like a little five year old's birthday party with all the bright colors. There were quaint houses made of cookie dough and the ground bellow us appeared to made of chocolate bricks. There were huge towers of crystallized sugar every where you looked and the trees were huge candied flowers.

It was a little strange, and had I not know better, I would have thought it was drug induced. Suddenly my left hand felt cooler and I realized that something warm had been pressed to it for some time. It was gone now and I had no idea what it may have been. After a moment the invisible warmth was replaced and it felt suspiciously familiar. I pushed those thoughts aside after a moment when I saw that several of the other ponies had started singing and dancing with rainbow colored flowers. They were way out of tune. The ponies circled around, still singing off key until their fast-paced dance resembled a kaleidoscope. I watched the different colors twirl about before my eyes. It was so pretty.

Then I heard his voice. Jake's voice was in my dreams almost every night, so it was nothing new. He was murmuring "I love you Nessie. I love you, always," over and over again, laughter coloring his tone. I cherished his words as the wheel of color continued to rotate until individual shapes were indiscernible.

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**Constructive Criticism is always welcome.**

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	2. Ryunosuke Akutagawa

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR ANY OF ITS WONDERFUL CHARACTERS. EVERYTHING BELONGS TO MRS. MEYERS. **

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I awoke to Jacob's not-so-gentle snoring. He was sitting on the floor by my make-shift bed, my palm pressed to his warm cheek. I drew my hand back and sat up, a little bit confused. He had stayed with me all night, with my hand pressed to his face, watching my dreams. It was a strange concept, and I wasn't sure why it hadn't occurred to me before that my whole family had probably seen my dreams at one time or another. I threw the blanket off and stood, turning my body so I could see the clock; it read six o'clock am. There was a good possibility that nobody was really concerned with my whereabouts yet.

Then I heard the banging in the kitchen. It sounded like someone was slamming pots and pans together. I folded up the blanket I had used and hauled both it and the pillow back to their shelf in the closet. I eased the closet door shut and then tiptoed into the kitchen to see Rosalie and Emmett standing by the counter, an array of pots and pans spread out before them.

"Um, what are you guys doing?" I asked warily as they both turned to look at me.

"Oh good, you're up. Now we can tell the mutt to leave." Rose's playfully harsh lips smiled cheerfully. I rolled my eyes.

"We're not telling Jake to leave. What's with all the pots and pans?"

"Alice asked us to take inventory of Esme's kitchen supplies while they're off hunting." Alice, Jasper, Esme, and Carlisle had left yesterday afternoon and would be home in a few hours.

"Okay, so why didn't you wait till Jake and I were awake?"

Emmett laughed cruelly. "We hadn't realized you two were sleeping together." Rosalie smacked him while she tried to keep from smiling. I ignored him.

"We were trying to wake him up so he would leave. The house smells awful, and you should probably go take a shower." I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Auntie Rose," I whined. "I thought you said you would be nicer to Jake?" she looked regretful almost simultaneously.

"I'm sorry sweetie. It's more a habit than anything." I nodded and left them to their inventory lists. Jake was still asleep, so I kneeled down on the floor next to him. I shook his shoulder gently, trying to wake him up with out startling him. He opened his eyes slowly and smiled.

"What a wonderful way to wake up." I rolled my eyes and looked away to keep from blushing.

"Get up, you're an idiot for staying here all night." He snorted as he stood up sleepily.

"I sleep on your couch all the time. Nobody cares."

"Nobody cares if you sleep on the couch, when I'm in my own bed. You and me sleeping on the couch together was probably not the best idea." I thought I heard Emmett laugh quietly from the kitchen, but I brushed it off. He could laugh all he wanted; I wasn't the one with the sex addiction.

"Maybe not, but I technically wasn't on the couch. I was on the floor." His statement reminded me how annoyed I was with him.

"Jake, we need to talk about that." I said as he took my hand. I could tell he was trying to read my expression as we made our way across the room.

He held the door open for me as we walked out onto the lawn. "What do we need to talk about?"

"Um, you were watching my dreams."

"Yeah, so? You're entertaining when you sleep. Now I see why Edward likes reading minds so much."

"Jake, do you hear yourself? Did you consider that maybe I wanted my dreams kept private?" The change in his facial expression was so sudden it startled me a little bit.

"So you're not okay with me watching your dreams?"

"I want you to apologize, and promise not to do it again."

"I'm sorry; I never meant to upset you." He looked sincere and repentance colored his tone.

"And promise not to do it again." I commanded. His features grew thoughtful.

"How about I make it up to you instead?" I rolled my eyes.

"How?"

"How about tonight, we go out on a date?" His proposition was completely and totally so unexpected that I was momentarily at a loss for words. It was so random and foreign, and the idea of going on a date with my Jacob made my heart skip a few beats.

"Why?" So it wasn't the most idealistic thing say considering he had just asked me out, but it was the first coherent words that came to mind.

"Because I think it would be fun." He raised his eye brows expectantly.

"Alright. Tonight."

"Cool, I'll pick you up at eight." He kissed me then, which sent my pulse hammering. I watched as he climbed into his car and drove off down the driveway, probably headed to his dad's house.

I walked to the cottage slowly, giving myself time to think. I was going to go on my first date with my amazing Jacob, tonight. In like fourteen hours. We were going on a date to-. I had no idea where we were going. How was I expected to dress? What if we ended up going to some greasy fast food joint, and I was dressed in an evening dress? Or what if I wore blue jeans and we ended up going to some kind of fancy restaurant?

It was such an awful dilemma that I knew I had no other choice than to go to Rose for help. She wouldn't like that I was going on a date with Jake, but she would love the chance to play make-over. With Alice gone, she was all I had to turn to, since my mother hates anything to do with fashion and/or make-up.

I neared the tiny cottage and took in the familiar smell of roses and saw dust. As I entered the house I discovered Mom and Dad sitting by the fireplace, absorbed in a tiny, leather bound book. They both looked up and smiled as I shut the door behind me tightly.

"Morning sweetie. We got a little worried when you didn't come home last night, but Rosalie called my cell phone to tell me you were sleeping on the couch at the main house."

"Yeah, we were watching a movie and I just kinda fell asleep." She gave me an all-knowing look, but smiled.

"That's fine; just call us next time, alright?" I nodded.

"Sure thing. I'm gonna go change now," I said as I ducked out of the room.

I pulled a t-shirt from my chest of drawers and hurriedly changed my clothes. I brushed my hair back and wove it into a tight braid, to keep the loose strands out of my face. Throwing a quick glance at my mirror to make sure I wasn't a total wreck, I grabbed my book and bolted out the window. It was a warm day and a little bit of sun light leaked through the clouds. My skin glimmered ever so slightly, nothing like my family's, but a faint sparkle was still visible. It looked a little bit like that dust-on glitter so many girls wore around their eyes.

I found a quite spot about a mile and a half from the cottage. There were a few wild flowers and a moss covered log that made a lovely bench. I opened my book of haiku to the first page. It read:

_Green frog,_

_Is your body also_

_freshly painted?_

_Sick and feverish_

_Glimpse of cherry blossoms  
_

_Still shivering__._

_-_Ryunosuke Akutagawa's poetry had always had a calming effect on me, and as I continued to read I could feel my anxiety about the upcoming date start to leave my body. A frog was a symbol of luck, or metamorphosis. Green evokes the feeling of nature or health. So the poem was referring, in part, to a healthy change perhaps. Cherry blossoms represent feminine beauty. Maybe Akutagawa was trying to correspond his poem with the benefit of change verses the vulnerability or fragility it may cause. Jake and I going out on a date would be a good thing. I was new to romantic emotions, and I felt so terribly vulnerable. Surely he had been on dates before. Surely he would expect me to act a certain way. I was way over my head this time. How the hell was I supposed to conduct myself? I definitely wasn't going to base my behavior off a movie or novel. I would just have to pretend to know what I was doing. And try not to fall over, or run into anything. It seemed an impossible task. I went back to my reading and names like Basho Matsuo, Natsume Soseki, and Nicholas Virgilio lined the pages, each with their own symbolist message. My breathing slowed and it seemed as though the book engulfed me in a pool of isolated understanding. I suppose I fell asleep after a while, for my next conscious realization was that the sun was migrating closer and closer to the western horizon and I was hungry. I slammed the book shut and ran to the main house quickly. I breezed through the doors and came to an abrupt halt in front of the huge antique clock Esme cherished so greatly. It read six o'clock pm. Great, I had spent all day philosophizing over poetry in the woods, and now I wasn't going to be ready when Jacob showed up. I had two hours to find something to eat, get my nerves in check, and make myself presentable. I needed Rose's help. Her immediate help. I rushed up the stairs to her bedroom, and knocking on the door as I swung it open, I found her sitting in the middle of her vast bed, a collection of scrap booking magazines laid out before her.

"Auntie Rose, I need you help. Its important, and I know I can count on you." She looked worried for a moment, so I hurried to explain. "I have a date with Jake in roughly two hours and I have no idea what I'm doing."She gave me a knowing smile and with out further ado, set to work.

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**I hope you enjoyed the second chapter. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave a comment.**

**Constructive Criticism is always welcome.**

**_a poem of my own composition:_**

**_Oh Beloved Reviews_**

**_Dear Reviews  
_**

**_Is you content also_**

**_Freshly typed?_**

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**--**

**Little Orange Frog**

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**


	3. Pizza, Gracie, and Cherry Soda

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. EVERYTHING BELONGS TO MRS. MEYER.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Saklutzy. **

**You encouragement is priceless.**

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I nervously smoothed the ruffles of my skirt for the hundredth time. Scrutinizing my refection in the long mirror, I looked for anything out of place. I noticed that the button on my blouse was crooked and I hurried to straighten it.

"Relax, it'll be fine." Rose's kind voice sounded softly from her place by the door. I could tell she was as anxious as I was, she was just better at covering it up.

"I am relaxed," I replied hastily. It had taken her an hour and a half, but she had succeeded in picking out the perfect outfit for me to wear: a white button up blouse, a green plaid skirt with ruffles, and black pumps; my hair hung loose about my shoulders. My eyes looked dramatic with all the mascara she had used, and pink shinny gloss coated my lips.

"Come sit down," she said motioning to a small stool on the far side of her enormous bathroom. I obliged, trying to keep my breathing even.

"Rose, I'm worried I'm gonna screw this up."

"Don't be ridiculous. As long as you do as I tell you, you'll be fine."

"But what if I forget what you tell me? I'm so nervous."

"Calm down, it's not as big of a deal as your making it out to be. Just act normal."

"Normal? You want me to act normal? You're going to sit here and tell a _human-vampire-hybrid that sparkles in the sun_ to act normal? On top of my abnormalities, such as the fact that I experience _blood-lust_, and I babble when I get nervous. Babbling is bad, and I'm going to screw this all up because of my stupid babbling. I can't help it, I just start babbling and I usually don't realize I'm babbling, but then when I do realize it I feel like a fool, so I stop talking and then there'll be an awkward silence and I can't deal with awkward silences. And I'm so anxious that-"

"Dammit Nessie, just shut up." She said, her tone slightly annoyed. I clamped a hand over my mouth and tried very hard to keep from crying. I was going to have a mental meltdown before he even got here. "You're over analyzing this. You just need to calm down and approach it with out all this stress. Dates are supposed to be fun." She laughed a little bit and shook her head.

"I remember my first date. I was fourteen, and his name was Warren Benton. He was tall and two years older than I was which would have made him sixteen at the time. He took me to the theater to see **"Pandora's Box"**, the story of a woman who is put on trial for her husband's death, and later murdered by Jack the Ripper. He bought me a soda afterwards, and walked me home. When we got to my house, he stopped by my mailbox, pulled me close and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Then he ran off. It was so childish and sweet that I went out with him again. We never actually got very far as a couple, and Father didn't like him because he was not ambitious." She laughed lightly at unseen memories before continuing.

"We stopped seeing each other after a few months. A new girl moved in across the street, and as with all novelties, he fell deeply in love. I believed they married the summer that I turned seventeen. He joined the marines the following year, and was sent to fight in WWII, where he died. The girl next door, her name was Edith, was left a widow with their only son. I don't know if she ever remarried. I'd like to think she did, though it is doubtful." She shook her head one final time and then returned to the present.

"Moral of the story is: if you aren't going to enjoy going on a date, you ought not to go at all."

"Alright," I said, trying to shake off my irrational fears.

"Listen to him while he talks, fluff his ego, and flirt a little bit. You'll be just fine my dear." She smiled warmly at me and beckoned for me to stand. "All you really have to worry about is that anxiety level of yours. Try not to get so restless. It'll only hurt you in the long run." With that last piece of wisdom, she whisked off to find her camera.

I decided I would go look for Mom and Dad so I could tell them what was going on. As I descended the stair case, I saw them standing near the huge window that covered the south wall, his arms wrapped around her. I cleared my throat loudly and they both turned to look at me as I walked up behind them.

"Mom, Daddy, um, Jacob was going to take me on a date tonight." Edward's shoulders tensed, but he smiled. Momma beamed at me, but I could tell she was thinking about something that made her angry.

"I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time." She said brightly, a trace of anger still residing in her pretty golden eyes.

"Thank you." I replied, sneaking a glance at the clock. Five minutes 'til eight o'clock.

"Be careful, my darling. Now if you'll excuse me." He strode out the back door gracefully and Momma smirked.

"Your father's very stubborn," she said teasingly as I heard the Rabbit's tires grind against our front lawn. My heart leaped into my throat and I took deep breaths to steady myself. I could do this. I was not going to screw this up. Mom gave my hand a quick squeeze, then headed upstairs, probably to find Rose.

I dashed out the front door to see Dad and Jacob enthralled in quiet conversation. Their voices were low and tight, and the atmosphere around them was tense.

"Hi Jake," I said softly, as I approached the car. They both looked up, slightly startled. Dad recovered first.

"Nessie, sweetie. I was just telling Jake not to have you out too late. Have fun, my dear." He smiled and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his oh-so-smooth lying. As Jacob opened my car door for me, my father slipped a tiny cylinder into my hand. I clutched it tight and mentally thanked him for whatever it was. He usually had a reason if he was trying to be sneaky.

I climbed into the Rabbit and slipped the can (I had determined it was a can of some sort) under the folds of my skirt. Jake got in, and revved up the engine as I fastened my seat belt.

"If I had a nickel for every time I saw someone as pretty as you, I would have five cents," Jake said casually as we pulled away from the house. I blushed. I couldn't help it.

"Since when do you use corny pick up lines?"

"Since when are my pick up lines corny?" we both laughed freely. It was so easy to be myself around him. The car sped around town; we took the 101 south, a few miles before he pulled into a small parking lot. I instantly recognized the wooden building by its green-painted porch. The gigantic sign read **Pacific Pizza: Italian and American Specialties**. Jake knew how much I loved pizza. I grinned hugely at him as he turned the key in the engine and reached to open his door.

I reached for my own and as I stepped out of the car, I lost my footing on the gravel and fell, smacking my head on the side of the car as I went down. I laid there on the uncomfortable ground a moment before the pain began to register. Jacob realized what had happened and ran to my side, holding my head in his hands.

"Are you alright?" he asked uneasily as I sat up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said as he helped me to my feet. There was a dull ache in the back of my head, but I ignored it. He shut the car door for me and took my hand in his. We proceeded into the café. A cowbell, strung on the door, jangled as Jake held the door for me. It was cooler inside the spacious, dimly lit restaurant. The smell of fresh baked pizza wafted towards us from the kitchen. It was delightful, aside from the pretty hostess that was eyeing Jake up.

She was unnaturally blonde and several inches taller than me. I watched as she undressed my boyfriend with her eyes and shuddered as a violent surge of jealousy surfaced. I hoped my face wouldn't give it away. Her smile was seductively desperate as she greeted us.

"Hi, how many?"

"Two." Jacob said politely, not really looking at her. She seemed a little put off as she seated us at a table in the most crowded area of the restaurant.

"Your server will be right with you," she said cheerfully, willing Jake to spare her one look. He looked only at me and the ceiling. Nessie: 1. Slutty Hostess: 0

"This is really great," I said smiling sweetly. He smiled back and I thought that if the planets had not already aligned four days ago, they would have then.

"I'm glad you like it. I know how much you like pizza." Just then a tiny girl about Alice's size emerged from the kitchen. She had obnoxious red hair and freckles that dotted her face. Her eyeliner made her look like a panda, and I silently wondered how a tiny girl like her possibly had boobs that big. She jiggled around in her low cut shirt all the way across the room to our table.

"Hi yawl, my name's Gracie. I'll be your waitress this evenin'. What can I get yawl to drink?" I noticed she was speaking only to him. He looked at me expectantly.

"I'll have a cherry soda." I said. It came out more like a question.

"Two cherry sodas." Jake said as the waitress scribbled it down as though her life depended on what Jake wanted to drink with his dinner.

"Are yawl ready to order now, or would you like a few minutes?" her overdone southern accent was beginning to get on my nerves.

"Nessie?"

"We can order now."

"Alright, we'll have a large pizza with mushrooms, green olives, and feta cheese." She wrote it down quickly, muttering to herself as she went.

"Anything else?" she asked him.

"That'll be all."

"There's _nothing_ I can get for you?" Did I just imagine the double meaning to her words? No, of course not. She was all over Jake, and I secretly hoped her boyfriend would walk in and see her.

"We're fine." I said coldly. She narrowed her eyes at me and then left.

"Are you sure you didn't hit your head when you fell?" he asked after a few moments, concern seeping into his tone.

"I'm sure." He smiled and we sat in silence for a while longer.

I clasped my hands together and took a deep breath. "So, um," I began. "What do people talk about on dates?" he had just taken a swallow of soda, so when he started to laugh, it spewed across the table. I jumped back, slightly confused.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry Nessie; it's just that you're so funny sometimes." None of the soda had gotten on me, so I was mostly okay. He took a napkin and wiped his face, his shirt, and the table off quickly. The white polo he was wearing would never be the same, but that was of little importance.

"I'm glad I amuse you." I said frowning. He shook his head.

"Truth be told, I'm really not all that sure what people talk about on dates." I looked up a little surprised.

"Well haven't you been on a date before?"

"Some, when I was younger. Nothing worth talking about." I eyed him warily and decided he was telling the truth. I leaned across the table to place my palm on his cheek. I wanted him to get a sense of the clashing emotions I was experiencing. I remembered my almost-panic attacks from earlier and though a worry line creased his forehead, he chuckled.

"I'm afraid I'll screw this up for you," I said softly. As I said this, the waitress seemed to appear out of nowhere. She cleared her throat loudly, causing me to jump. My arm flew up and knocked the two sodas out her hands. The icy liquid came splashing down on my and I let out a shriek of dismay.

"Oh my goodness! Let me get you some napkins," she twanged in her country accent. "I do apologize," She could apologize all she wanted, but she did a poor job of concealing her pleasure. My outfit was probably ruined and my hair was sticky.

"Don't worry about the napkins," I muttered, glaring at her. "I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be right back." I said to Jake as I got up and walked away. His concern was almost tangible, but I needed a moment to wash the soda out of my hair and compose myself.

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**Well, here is the next chapter. I shall try to update tomorow morning, but I have band camp, so we'll see.**

**Thank's for reading.**

**Please Review. Constructive Criticism is always welcome.**

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	4. Chuckies Bride, Salt & Underage Drinkers

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT. IF I DID, I WOULD BE TOO OCCUPIED WITH EDWARD TO WRITE THIS LOVELY STORY. **

**This chapter is dedicated to Saklutzy.**

**Thank you for the wonderful reviews.**

**..now if only some of my other readers could follow suite. ;)  
**

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The girl's room was empty. One of the three stalls had no door, and the mirror was cracked. It was a moot point though, so I turned on the nearest sink and grabbed a few paper towels. Most of my blouse was stained a dark brown and I knew that no amount of washing was going to get it out. I rung out my hair and dabbed at the worst parts of my skirt. Then I caught site of my face in the mirror. Though it was distorted because of the crack, I could plainly see how badly my mascara and eyeliner had smeared. I cursed myself for not thinking to use waterproof.

So, just to take inventory, my shirt was stained to oblivion, my hair was less sticky, but it was also wet, and now I looked like Chuckey's Bride because of all my smeared eye make up. Great. Just great. Jacob would probably never want to go out with me again because I seemed to be a magnet for disaster. Who else could have managed to dump two glasses of soda on themselves with in five minutes?

I washed my face off, cleaned my shirt as best I could, then took a step back to see myself in the mirror more clearly. Sure enough, I still looked like a wreck, and I smelled like cherry soda as a bonus. Atleast I had gotten all the make-up out from under my eyes. I took a deep breath and readied myself to go face Jake. I was beyond embarrassed, but I could get past it. Maybe we could get the pizza to go, go shopping to find me a different shirt, and then eat the pizza in the car. But that would probably make Jake unhappy. I shook my head to clear away all absurd thoughts and headed towards the door of the dingy bathroom.

I was reaching for the door handle when my foot slipped on an unseen puddle and I crashed to the floor ungracefully, landing on my knees and smacking my head against the door in front of me. My knees and my forehead hurt a lot. On top of that, my skirt was wet because I was now sitting in the puddle I had just slipped on. What the hell had I done to deserve this? Was someone trying to tell me something? I muttered a few unintelligible swear words as I stood up slowly, opened the door, and cautiously made my way back to the table. Jake smiled at me warmly and I smiled back.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently as I scooted my chair up to the table.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Do you want to leave? I understand…" I waved my hand around dismissively.

"No, I'm fine. What's a little bit of soda when it's all said and done?" I said nonchalantly. Inside I was ready to breakdown and cry, on the outside I was smiling at him like I hadn't a care in the world. I was good at deceiving people when I wanted to.

"If you're sure. The waitress should be here with our salads any minute." I nodded my head. I liked the green olives and croutons that always topped the salads, and I tolerated the tomatoes, but I hated lettuce.

"So, um, I heard it's supposed to be sunny next week," I began. I knew it was a feeble conversation starter, but it was better than nothing.

"Hm. Maybe we can go cliff diving next week then. Or on a picnic."

"That would be fun. I saw this really pretty tree the other day when I was hunting. It was all gnarled and twisted and magical looking. Maybe we could try to find it again." I suggested as I took stared at the abstract art on the walls.

"Oh yeah, and we can have a tea party with the gnomes when we find your magical tree." He smirked playfully. I rolled my eyes, but otherwise let it go. If he didn't want to help me look for the magical tree, I would find it on my own.

The waitress came back with our salads and two more drinks. I carefully kept my arms by my sides. As she set it down I noticed she was leaning all over the table, her boobs falling out of her shirt every which way as she did so. I ground my teeth together to keep from calling her a skank. After she had sashayed about the table to her little heart's content she smiled at Jake and walked off. What a bitch. I began picking at my salad, eating the crunchy squares of toast.

Jacob's eyes never left mine as he ate and it made me feel a lot better. Even though I was drenched in soda and the skank, er, waitress was all over him, he would still rather pay attention to me than his food. And most guys would take food over their significant other any day. That's what was different about Jake; He really cared about me.

I watched as he ate his salad somewhat savagely. Most of the time when you think about salad the word _dainty_, or_ prim_ comes to mind. With Jake, neither was the case. He reminded me of a steam-shovel. When he was done the waitress showed back up, as if on cue, [she was probably keeping tabs on us from the kitchen. Stalker.] with our pizza. She set it on the table and appeared to almost stumble into Jake, her upper body rubbing all over him. He leaned away from her and she straightened up, looking slightly offended.

"Isn't there _anything_ else I can do for you?" she drawled slowly, still speaking only to him. I narrowed my eyes at her. It would be too much fun to yank every single strand of hair out of her desperate little head. I smiled at the idea.

"No. That'll be all." He replied, looking at me, willing me to understand this was not his fault. He wasn't stupid; surely he knew she was hitting on him. Why couldn't he just tell her to go away? She stalked off and I watched her go. As soon as she disappeared into the kitchen I stood up.

"I'll be right back, I promise. You go ahead and start eating." I said cheerfully as I walked back to the kitchen. Pushing the heavy door aside, I saw her complaining to another waitress. My shoulders back, I pulled all my nerves together and approached her.

"Excuse me ma'am. Can I have a word with you?" I asked politely. She looked me over haughtily.

"'Bout what, kid?"

"I'd like to speak to you in private. I think it would be better for both of us,"

"I don't get off for another hour so just spit it out and go away,"

"Fine. I want you to stay the hell away from my b-, my boyfriend." I faltered slightly on the word boyfriend. Was he my boyfriend? I wasn't sure if boyfriend really covered it, but lover was surely the wrong word. I would just have to go with it.

"Oh, your boyfriend?" she laughed cruelly. "Listen honey, I don't give a damn about you or your boyfriend. Now run along." Her friend laughed with her and it took all I had not to slap her across the face.

"I pity you." I said after a moment. She whirled around to glare at me.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I pity you. You're lonely and desperate, and you don't have any self respect. If you did, you would have the courtesy to keep your hands off someone who is already in a relationship. I pity you for that." I smiled at her calmly, turned myself around, and walked out of the kitchen. If there was one thing my parents had done, it was teach me how to be courteous and diplomatic,

I resumed my seat across from Jake, he was already well into his second slice of pizza.

"Did something happen?" his tone was wary.

"No, nothing at all." I tried to make my voice sound light even though I was shaken up on the inside.

"If you say so." He went back to his pizza. I grabbed a slice and put it on my plate. My only issue with pizza was that it never had enough salt. As I set the salt shaker back down on the table, it turned over, scattering tiny crystal-like beads every where. Jake shook his head teasingly, a playful smile on his wonderful face. I snatched the upturned shaker and dumped a small pile of salt into my hand, which I then tossed over my shoulder. I was a little superstitious and whenever I spilled salt, I believed it was good luck to throw a hand full behind me. What I forgot was that we were sitting in a now-crowded restaurant. My salt hit the person at the table behind me in the back of the head.

The woman was tiny and wrinkled with thin gray hair. The salt clung to her scalp and I raised my eyes to the ceiling, thinking there would be an answer to my problems there. Needless to say, there was not. Jacob was working very hard to keep a straight face; his sharp teeth wrapped around his huge fist so as not to laugh. The woman turned around after a moment and I saw her staring at us out of the corner of my eye. I was ready to die. What had a nice old lady like herself ever done to me? Absolutely nothing, yet here I was throwing salt on her.

"Jake, stop it," I cried exasperated. With some trouble, he removed his fist from his mouth and lowered his eyes.

"I'm sorry, it's just funny."

"No it's not." I hissed. As I did so I brought my hand down on the table somewhat forcefully. It happened to connect with my fork (who actually uses their fork when eating pizza?). The fork, in turn, flew up through the air and landed on the floor beside me with a clang. A few people, mostly children, turned to stare. I thought for sure my face would melt, I was blushing so deeply. I bet Rosalie didn't have any issues like this on her first date. Jake couldn't keep himself from laughing this time, and soon enough I was laughing with him. The sheer stupidity was enough to set anyone off, or so I thought.

We got several annoyed glances from the other customers and one little kid even threw a mushroom at Jacob, which made him laugh harder. We finally shut up when the manager started glaring at us from the hostess's podium near the door. I kicked Jake under the table and gingerly bent over in my chair to pick up the fork. I laid it next to the salt shaker that had started all the nonsense to begin with and we commenced with our meal.

After we had finished eating Stacie, or Lacy, or whatever the hell her name was brought us the check with out so much as a word. She did not stick around, but left in detached anger, for which I was very thankful. Jake placed a few crumpled bills inside the black bill-holder-thing and stood up. I went to stand also, but he motioned for me to stay seated. He pulled my chair out for me and offered me his hand, which I took gratefully. If I was holding on to him, perhaps I wouldn't fall again. The hostess looked a little regretful as we walked out the door.

As we stepped outside into the cool night air I smiled. It was so wonderful to be with Jake, even if out date had gone awry. We were headed towards the car when I heard a loud, drunken voice behind me.

"Hey there sweet thing! Your boyfriend thinks he's so big and tough? How about you hang with us awhile? I'm sure he wouldn't mind!" My throat tightened, but I willed myself to stay calm.

"Just ignore them," I said softly, so only Jake would hear. We kept walking. It wasn't much farther to the Rabbit.

"Hey sweetheart? Don't you hear me talkin' to you? I said ditch the loser and come hang with us!" With out turning around, I knew they were moving toward us; I could hear their footsteps. Jake's arms tensed up and I knew he was about to do something stupid.

"Leave it alone, it's not worth it." I said. Instead he whirled around to glower at the small posse of underage drinkers.

"Hey, dumb ass, shut the hell up, or I'll beat your tail." Jake threatened. I wanted to smack him in the forehead. That was an invitation for trouble. What if they got into a fight and Charlie showed up? We would be so screwed and he knew it.

"Don't tell me what to do! I'll take you any day. And when I get done beatin' you down, I'll take your girl out and show her what it's like to be with a real man. Ain't that right, sweetie?" I looked away in disgust. We needed to get outta there. Immediately.

"Come on. I don't want to do this right now." I said, tugging on his hand. He ignored me.

"Bring it." Jake's voice was quiet and though his hands were shaking violently, his expression was calm, aside from his eyes. The boy rushed forward, hoping to knock Jake off his feet I suppose. His arms were flailing every which way as he ran toward us blindly. Jacob reached on hand out and pushed him to the side.  
He fell over sideways and hit the gravel lot with a soft thud.

"Ouch! That hurt man!" he called hoarsely at Jake. Instead of answering Jacob led me to the car, opened my door for me and waited for me to climb in. I did so hurriedly and clicked my seatbelt. He got in, turned on the car, and backed up slowly, careful not to hit the idiot still lying on the ground. I felt something cold and metallic run up against my ankle on the floor of the car. I picked it up and studied it carefully as we pulled out onto the black asphalt.

It was a tiny can of pepper spray. It must have been what Dad had handed me earlier. It probably fell from the seat when I had gotten out of the car after our arrival at Pacific Pizza. I had forgotten all about it. I giggled softly, causing Jacob to look up from the road.

"Pepper spray?" he asked. I nodded.

"Edward's idea." He snorted and smiled at him. "Daddy doesn't realize how protective you are of me." I threw the can into the back seat and stared out the window. The road sped by us almost too quickly. After a moment I looked over at him and pursed my lips, trying to word my request correctly so he wouldn't misunderstand me.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, it's just that, well… I'm not sure how to put this without giving you the wrong idea. I don't really want to go home yet, and I don't really want to go back to town. Maybe we could go by the rez and see the beach for a minute if it's okay with you?" He nodded, seeming to understand what I was trying to convey. I wanted some time with him to just think; with out people to encroach on our still-new relationship. He turned the car around seconds later and we headed off towards La Push.

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**Another chappie, as promised. I hope you enjoyed it. Please, please review my story. It means alot to me and constructive criticism is **

**always welcome.**

**Thanks.**

**oo**

**'v-v'  
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	5. Some Things Are Meant to Be

**DISCLAIMER:**** I own absolutely nothing Twilight related, except for my Twilight t-shirt, my hoodie, my signature pair of autographed socks...(kidding about the socks) All the ideas belong to the wonderful Mrs. Meyer. May she live long and prosper in the wealth from her fabulous novel that I adore so greatly.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Saklutzy, for yet another wonderful review. :)  
**

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He cut off the engine and as the headlights slowly dimmed, my eyes adjusted to the dark. It was cool and windy here on the shore; I could see a nearby solitary tree rocking back and forth gracefully. I opened the car door and stepped out lightly, trying my best not to fall, or upset anything. Jake did likewise and I grasped his hand firmly in mine as we walked closer to the water.

I could smell the salty ocean, and I breathed in deeply as we neared it. The vast body of water stretched eerily into the darkness, past much farther than I could see even with my enhanced eye sight. I sat down on the coarse sand, pulling Jake with me. Aside from a few birds and the noise of the waves, it was quiet. I liked the way the quiet enveloped us; protected us from unnecessary clutter. That's what I needed, to feel uncluttered.

"I'm sorry," I breathed quietly after a moment. He looked up in what appeared to be surprise.

"Why would you be sorry?"

"I know that the date didn't go as you had planned. I realize that I'm not the best person to take company with. I just wish I hadn't screwed up so badly." He shifted his whole body so that he was facing me.

"What do you mean screwed up so badly?" I took a deep breath.

"Well, first there was the hostess, then the sodas spilled everywhere. And I threw the salt on that poor old woman and nearly got us thrown out I was laughing so hard over the fork. And those stupid drunks were giving you a hard time. I just wish I could have been a better date for you." He sighed heavily and I knew that I was right.

"Nessie, how can you say that?"

"Say what?"

"That you screwed up our date?"

"Because I kinda did."

"No you didn't. I had a wonderful time." I searched his eyes thinking I must have misheard him.

"But, I did everything wrong…"

"No, you didn't." He smiled and I could see his teeth glimmer in the dark. "Ye of so little faith. You're not giving yourself enough credit."

"But, but, the waitress and the soda, and, and, the salt..." I babbled stupidly.

"So you knocked the soda out of the waitress's hands and threw salt on some random senior citizen. It happens. And just between you and me, I thought it was kinda cute."

I rolled my eyes. "Well I'm glad I amuse you." His soft laughter just barely touched my ears.

"What?"

"Nothing." He turned his body back toward the ocean and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"What? Tell me."

"Nothing, nothing." I growled softly and he laughed louder.

"Tell me!" I cried, pushing him playfully.

"It's just that you remind me so much of your mom." He said after a moment, all but a trace of amusement gone from his voice. I blushed despite myself. I was glad it was dark so he wouldn't see.

"Why is that?"

"This, for one," he said touching my cheek lightly. I blushed deeper. "And your eyes. Her eyes were the same chocolaty brown hers were before her change."

"Do you miss her being human?" I asked half hoping he wouldn't answer. She had been human before my birth, but the placenta had detached and they had been forced to give her a C-section; Edward had changed her minutes later in order to save her life. I had brutally been ripping my way out of her body; breaking her ribs and cracking her spine. Had Edward not injected the venom into her, she would have died like Nahuel's mother. Jacob sighed wearily and kept his eyes on the water.

"No, I don't. I miss her blush, and her eyes, but other than that, she's the same. Her skin is cold and impenetrable, but she's the same." I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. It was mostly my fault she had been changed. Yes, it probably would have happened anyway, but I sped up the process. She might have decided to wait years had her belly not grown huge with me. I traced circles on his wide hand with my thumb as we sat in the quiet, turning over his words in my head.

After a moment, I felt his body stiffen next to mine and then a wide boyish grin covered his face. I smiled back, not really sure why he was so happy. I figured he would tell me in his own time, so I waited patiently. He jumped up hastily and ran to his car, motioning for me to stay where I was. I stood, but otherwise didn't move from my place by the shore.

I watched as he shoved the key into the ignition, causing the car to come to life. Its bright headlights illuminated the beach and washed everything in a harsh yellow light. I put my hand up to shield my eyes from the glare. I heard him turn the stereo on to an oldie's station and the sound of Elvis flooded my ears. He ran back to my side, and taking my hands in his smiled.

"I have a surprise," he said simply, as though that explained everything. He took a tiny box from the pocket of his blue jeans and placed it in my palm. The small cube was smooth and hard and I gingerly reached to open it. Very slowly lifting the lid, I looked up in amazement. Nestled in the box was a thin silver chain and upon the chain hung a plain silver cross.

"Oh, Jacob," I said softly, struck by the beautiful gift. It was so lovely, I was almost afraid to touch it. He pulled it from the box and fastened it around my neck, his fingers brushing across my shoulders. Then, slipping the box back into his pocket, he pulled me close and we turned in a slow ungraceful circle to the rhythm of the music

_Like a river flows surely to the sea_

_Darling so it goes_

_Somethings are meant to be_

_Take my hand, Take my whole life too._

_For I can't help falling in love with you._

I was indescribably moved, and feeling like words would only mar the beauty of his gift, I laid my head on his shoulder wrapped my arms around his neck. His hands wound around my waist and we rocked back and forth steadily, a million starts glittering above our heads. I wanted to cry, it was so lovely and picturesque. When the song ended, we stopped swaying, but neither of us moved. We stood in each other's embrace for an immeasurable moment, and then a lone gull screeched, startling me. I stood back so I could better see his face.

"So," I mused. "Does this make you my boyfriend?" He chuckled softly as we made our way to the car, my hand clasped around the necklace.

"I don't know," Jake threw a teasing smirk at me and I laughed.

"Well, technically, since you've given me a piece of jewelry, it kinda makes you my boyfriend." He turned the stereo off and put the car in drive.

"Well, then, I guess I don't have a choice, do I?" I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Thank you," I murmured softly as the Rabbit's tires pulled off the loose sand and onto the pavement.

"It's no big deal," he said. That was just like him to shrug it off as if it didn't matter, even though I could tell he was pleased that I liked it.

"Yes it is. It's a beautiful gift and I love it."

"Sure, sure" I rolled my eyes. Tonight had been wonderful, even if I had made a fool of myself at the restaurant. The drive home was quiet and still and as we neared the house I could see Rosalie peering through the blinds of her bedroom window. I shook my head as Jake threw the car in park and braced myself for her. She could put the best of interrogators to shame and tonight would be no different.

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**So there you have it, a slow dance and a pretty necklace. Hope you enjoyed it. **

**Please send me a review. I promise to give you extra huggles if you do. Plus, Constructive Criticism is always welcome. **

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	6. I Have A Plan

**DISCLAIMER: ALL OWNERSHIP AND COPYRIGHT LAWS LAY IN THE HANDS OF DEAR MRS. MEYER. I, IN ESSENCE, OWN NOTHING TWILIGHT RELATED, ASIDE FROM MY TWISTED IMAGINATION.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Saklutzy, Ms'Marauder'Cullen and Tiva'McAbby'Kari'Jibbs'forever.  
**

**I do so love it when people review my stories. Huggles!  
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Jacob walked me to the doorstep. I turned toward him and kissed him, stretching up on my tiptoes. He lifted me up by the waist so he wouldn't have to bend down, and deepened the kiss, sending my blood pounding through my veins. I felt the color rise in my cheeks and my heart audibly skipped several beats, which probably wasn't good for my health. I didn't care.

I hugged him closer to my body and then I heard a weird tapping noise to my left. I broke the kiss and looked up to see Emmett, standing inside the house, his forehead pressed to the glass tapping on the window nearest to us. I could feel my blush rush to my cheeks and I looked away.

"Get a room!" he called teasingly as Jake set me down. I saw Rose swat at him with her hand half-heartedly as she shooed him away and motioned for me to come in the house.

"Goodnight" I said turning my attention back to Jake, who laughed freely at my irritation towards my family. "Ha ha. Hilarious. I'll see you in the morning." I pulled away from him and turned towards the door.

"Goodnight dear," he murmured, his tone suddenly serious. I opened the door and stepped into the house, turning to watch him get into his car and leave. I shut the door behind me and tried to mentally fortify myself before Rose started in trying to satisfy her curiosity.

"So, what happened?" she called from her place on the couch. "Come sit and tell me all about it." She was trying and failing miserably to sound indifferent. I rolled my eyes.

"I have to go to sleep. I'm very tired." And I was tired; I had had an overwhelming afternoon. I moved towards the kitchen door and stopped when she let out a shocked gasp.

"He bought you jewelry?" I self-consciously placed my hand over the delicate silver cross that hung about my neck.

"Yes, he bought me dinner and gave me a pendent." She smiled hungrily for details. She would have be disappointed.

"And?"

"And, that's all. I'm going to sleep now. 'Night Auntie Rose," her eyes narrowed into two topaz-colored slits as I hurried out toward the cottage.

When I got there, Mom and Dad were sitting in the living room discussing some sort of trip they were hoping to take. I tried to mask my giddy joy with exhaustion as I bid them goodnight and scurried off to my bedroom. As soon as the door was closed behind me, I sat down at my vanity and admired the pretty silver that hugged my neck.

The soft metal glimmered in the faint light and I leaned forward to the mirror to get a better look. It had been so romantic when we had danced on the beach. Perhaps he had been planning it all night. He might have given it to me at the restaurant had I not been acting so obnoxious. I rolled my eyes at the thought. Maybe I had just imagined it as worse than it truly had been; but it had seemed pretty bad at the time….

It didn't matter though. It seemed Jacob didn't mind my crazy stupidity. I heard the front door close quietly, so I assumed my parents were going out for a "walk". Perhaps they would be discussing world politics. A few minutes later a crash resounded from about a mile off, as though someone had knocked a tree over. I shook my head, trying not think about my parents knocking over trees in the middle of the night.

Slipping my clothes off, I grabbed the silk nightgown that was atop my dresser and changed for bed. Leaving my clothes in a pile on the floor, I threw back the curtains of my window and crawled into bed. As I lay trying to fall asleep, I thought about the stars that stared at me brightly from beyond the pulled curtains. They were points of light and reason in a vast universe of darkness. They were something to be gazed upon in wonder. Astronomy was a beautiful study of a world beyond ours.

As my eyelids fluttered I thought about Jake. Out of all the points of light and reason in my life he was the brightest. He stood out as my priority and I wanted to know about him, more so than any of the other stars. I wanted to see what a naked eye couldn't see in the darkness. My Jake had grown so bright that if his glow was suddenly extinguished, I would be left blinded by the light. I would see nothing if I couldn't see him. Not by choice, but because my whole world was being shaken up by one creature.

I had never been given the chance to love someone as wholly as I loved him. Yes I loved my family, but it was a different kind of love. It pained me the way other girls looked at him. He was so beautiful he could have any girl he wished, yet he wanted me. I was happy to oblige.

I closed my eyes tightly and with my hand felt for the necklace that he had given me. The smooth silver was cool in the darkness of my room and I drifted off to sleep, thinking about the beach and Elvis Presley.

* * *

When I woke there was light streaming through the window and I could hear birds chirping tunelessly outside. Mingled with the sounds of the morning was a steady snore. I threw off the covers and walked toward my window, leaning over the sill. I saw my Jacob lying there in the grass, asleep. With one fluid movement, I leapt over the sill and landed with a muted thud beside him. He stirred ever so slightly. I laid down and scooted over so we were laying parallel to one another. The soft breeze ruffled his hair and the sunlight played across his huge body.

I saw his key chain hanging out of his pocket idly and I saw this as an opportunity. I snatched at the keys gently, so as not to wake him. I had the key to his car in my hand as he opened his eyes. I stuck it behind my back and smiled sweetly.

"'Morning," his husky voice was colored with sleep.

"Good morning. What are you doing outside my window?"

"What are you doing with my keys?"

"Um," He was good. I threw him a playful glance as I stood. "Well, I was going to go for a ride today."

"In my car?"

"Yes, in the Rabbit."

"And I'm coming too I suppose?"

"Naturally," I called as I took off in a slow sprint towards the main house. After a shower and a bowl of Cheerios I was all set. Rosalie along with Alice, who had returned the previous night, helped me pick out a casual outfit to wear.

The boot cut jeans hugged my thighs and flared out lovingly at the knees. They made my hips look sexy, which was good, I think. I wore a t-shirt and my converse. A blue ribbon kept my hair out of my eyes.

When I was ready, I found Jacob in the living room watching television with Emmett. It looked like they were watching rugby, but I wasn't really sure. When he saw me, he stood and we walked out of the house and across the lawn. There was a smirk on his dark face.

"You know," he commented after a moment. "I could take the keys any minute if I really wanted to. I'm really only humoring you with this."

I rolled my eyes, "I doubt it." I shut the car door and clicked my seatbelt, the key still in my hand.

"Why is that?"

"Because you know that you don't stand a chance against me on any given day." Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. "You are rendered helpless under my charm and you know it," I said, throwing the car into drive. I wasn't quite sure where we were going, but it didn't matter. I only had to appear as if I knew where we were going.

"Do you even know where you're going?" he asked cynically as I pulled out of the green and onto the pavement.

"Of course I do," Not only did I drive fast like my father, but I could lie smoothly…most of the time.

"No you don't. You had no plans to hijack my car until you saw your chance and stole my keys."

"Nope, I have a plan. I always have a plan." He snorted, but I just ignored him. As long as it appeared as though I had planned this impromptu trip, it didn't matter.

We drove in silence for a few minutes. It was around ten o'clock, so a few people were out in their yards. I figured that if I drove around town long enough I would find somewhere for us to go. I figured an ice-cream shop would be cute, but rather cliché. And we had just gone out for pizza last night. We passed a barber's shop and I was reminded of Sweeny Todd. We drove by a shoe store, a karaoke bar, a cluster of houses and a home décor supply shop. I shook my head absentmindedly. Jake coughed loudly.

"What?"

"Um, we've been driving in a circle. We've passes that house three times." I looked at the house worriedly. He was right.

"I know that."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, I'm building suspense." I muttered. Instead of turning left again, I turned right and saw a small grouping of whitewashed buildings clustered together. I smiled happily and sped up minutely. I had found it. We pulled up in front of the structures and I parked the car. Jacob looked at me incredulously.

"The elementary school?"

"Yes, the elementary school."

"Nessie, why are we here?" when he said my name it sent little shivers up my spine, but I ignored his question and climbed out of the car, careful to keep the keys in my hand. The tall metal fence would be easy enough to jump and it was the middle of summer, so the school was empty. Eight year olds didn't need summer school.

"So you should be able to get over this fence, right?" I asked, looking the foreboding metal up and down. He laughed.

"Of course. Why shouldn't I?"

"You just seemed reluctant to get out of the car. I was wondering if it had something to do with your inability to keep up with me." He laughed harder and shook his head.

"Naturally you would be concerned with me."

"Naturally."

"Race you over," he muttered quietly. With out answering I threw myself at the metal fence, strategically clamoring up the side. I nimbly hopped over the top and waited. He was a few seconds behind me.

"No fair, you got a head start," he griped as he leaned against the fence for support, breathing a little harder than usual.

"Aw, you poor baby. You're just mad 'cause I beat you. You know, you're really not as intimidating as you'd like to think. I knew I'd win." I said off-handishly.

He grinned. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"So what you're saying is-"

"You're slow." I finished. His grin got wider and he chuckled.

"You really shouldn't have said that." I took off as he lunged at me. He missed, only clipping my forearm as I ran towards the swing-set on the south side of campus. He caught up with me and grabbed me around the waist. I swatted at his arms half-heartedly as I giggled. He lifted me up and held me close to his chest. He was a lot taller than I, so my feet were no where near the ground. I shrieked for him to put me down, but he ignored me, twirling us around and around in tight circles.

"Jacob! Let go!" I cried playfully as he set me down and kissed me. He took my breath away, he was so wonderful. My heart was hammering in my ears as he broke the kiss, both of us breathing hard. He held my hands in his.

"Give me my keys," he whispered softly. I shook my head to indicate no. "Please?"

"You have to say 'Please Your Awesomeness' and give me a piggy-back ride." I demanded childishly. A smile lit his face.

"As you wish, Your Awesomeness," Jake slung me onto his back in one quick movement and began to trot around the playground. I giggled and dangled the keys in front of his eyes.

"You're not going fast enough." I muttered in his ear, happy to spend some time with him. He laughed whole-heartedly.

"I'd rather be slow of foot than slow of mind," was his quiet reply.

"Thankfully I'm neither." I said as he put me down and held out his hand as though he thought I would just give him the keys like a nice little girl. I had never really been a nice little girl, manipulative and silly maybe, but not necessarily nice.

"You're neither what?"

"Slow of foot or slow of mind."

"Oh really?" he teased.

"Really! I'm not slow of foot or mind!" I sang, jumping onto the merry-go-round. It spun around in slow circles. He shook his head and smiled. Then he twirled the heavy metal bars of the merry-go-round and leaped onto the colorful spinning safety hazard.

I looked at him a moment then looked up at the overcast sky. "The sky is a wheel."

"Yeah it is. That's poetic." He glanced at me adoringly. I looked down, slightly abash.

"Not really." I said blushing. It was so strange for him to think of me as poetic.

He looked as though he were going to say something when I snapped my head up in surprise. What ever was on the tip of his tongue would have to wait. There was an officer stepping out of his police cruiser that was now parked beside Rabbit was.

"Dammit!" Jake said gruffly.

"Oh hell, what if it's Charlie?" I cried in distress, struggling to keep my voice down. "C'mon, let's go," I took off in a fast sprint to the fence on the opposite side of campus from the cop and hurried to climb away. I felt Jacob right behind me. The cop must have spotted us, because he began yelling. It didn't stop us from running. We hit the trees behind the school and didn't look back for several minutes. When we stopped, we were in a small clearing, little white flowers swayed in the breeze and I could see a house about one-hundred paces away.

"So what are we gonna do?" Jake asked. "He's gonna get the license plate number off my Rabbit and then I'll be in trouble with my dad." I shook my head.

"I have a plan,"

"Where have I heard that before?"

"Oh come on. This one is a good plan." Then I took off in a slow run back towards the school.

"Where the hell are you going? Do you feel like getting arrested for trespassing?"

"No, I told you. I have a plan." He would just have to trust me.

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**As you can see another lovely chapter up. A little bit of a cliff hanger, but you'll be just fine. (:**

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** Little Orange Frog  
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	7. Deaf and Dumb

**DISCLAIMER: I [still] OWN NOTHING TWILIGHT RELATED. EVERYTHING [still] BELONGS TO MRS. MEYER.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Rohain Tahquil, janispsnipes, Ms'Marauder'Cullen and Tiva'McAbby'Kari'Jibbs'forever.  
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**The best things in life are free. Last time I checked, they don't charge you to send reviews. Nora. ;)**

**On with the story.  
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When we were about twenty yards from the police cruiser and the Rabbit, I slowed to a walk. I pulled the ribbon from my hair, letting the long strands of hair fall shield most of my face. I took Jake by the hand and as we neared the cars I realized the cop was very young. He was probably a new recruit, maybe an apprentice or the new deputy. Either way, this would be a piece of cake. Readjusting my top and putting on a carefree smile, I skipped up to my unsuspecting victim, trying to look normal. He didn't see us approach, his blond head bent over his work intently.

"Hi," I giggled, twirling my hair a little bit. He looked up from his clipboard in surprise. For a moment he looked as though he couldn't speak.

"Um, uh, hi."

"So, whatcha doing?" I asked chewing my bottom lip and pretending to be clueless.

"I, um, I'm getting this guy's license plate so I can file a disturbance."

"Oh and how does that work?" I leaned closer to him, trying to look interested in his clipboard.

"Well, uh, if it's a student vehicle a notification will be sent to the school superintendent and then a letter will be sent to the trespasser, warning him/her about board policy. If they return to the site and trespass again it can be taken to court."

"I see, well, you see, as it is, this is my car." He looked taken aback, his blue eyes staring at me warily. "I don't know who was trespassing on the school's property, but I parked my car here so I could walk to the…ice-cream shop down the road."

"You walked all the way to the ice-cream shop? Why?" he seemed a little incredulous.

"Well because, um, I didn't want anything to happen to my car. You know how those hooligans are. I was afraid one of those teenagers might key my car." There, that sounded like a reasonable reason…maybe.

"Oh, well, next time you probably shouldn't park your car here. You could just call me and I'd make sure no one would key your car. In fact, I could come pick you up sometime and give you a ride in the police cruiser. Then you'd be free from harm," the lustful glint in his eyes made me want to slap him, but I ground my teeth together and smiled teasingly.

"Oh, so you're a cop?"

"Well, a deputy…in training. But they do let me borrow the cruiser on occasion."

"Really? Wow. So who's cruiser is it then?" he grinned.

"Charlie's." I swallowed painfully. Wonderful. Some crazy kid was offering me a ride in my grandfather's police cruiser.

"You know I'd love to ride in this car, but I don't want you to get in trouble." I looked up at him and patted the hood of the cruiser gently.

"What's life without a little trouble? I'm a deputy in training anyway. I have to learn to deal with trouble eventually." As he said this his phone rang. He looked at me apologetically before retrieving it from his pocket and pressing it to his ear.

"Hey baby….yep….yep…..um, no…..sure…I'd love to…..ugh, she's such a pain…no, he creeps me out….uh huh….uh huh….nope….bye Jessica…no I don't want to say it….I'm at work….please?....okay fine. I love you too." He snapped the phone shut and looked at me sheepishly.

"Sorry 'bout that. So anyway, um, about that ride...?" Jake looked like he was ready to snap the guy's head off, so I declined with haste.

"I'd like to but I can't right now. I'm driving my deaf and dumb brother home. Poor thing can't hear of speak. It's really a shame. It was nice to meet you though."

"Likewise," he said, eyeing Jake up suspiciously. He seemed to recognize him from somewhere, which probably wasn't good. I got into the car, put on my seatbelt, and idly wondered if vampires could be good Samaritans. After Jacob was situated, I waved goodbye and put the car in drive, careful to keep under the speed limit.

"Deaf and dumb?" Jacob asked coldly after a moment. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't be so dramatic."

"Did you take into account how much I hate Mike Newton before you started flirting with him?" his tone was like ice. I peered at him out of the corner of my eye.

"I didn't realize you knew him."

"Had I known you're plan was to seduce the deputy in training I would have objected."

"I wasn't trying to seduce him," I replied defensively. "And I know you would have, which is why I kept it to myself."

"Nessie, of all the guys in Forks, why him? There are tons of guys who would love to 'give you a ride', but him?"

"I got the car back didn't I?"

"That's not the point."

"You know I didn't mean a word I said to that man. I just wanted the car back."

"He's not a man. He's a freakin' Labrador retriever. You know your father's just gonna love this."

"Would it help if I said I was sorry? And that I hate him?"

"Hate is a passionate emotion."

"Oh please, you're taking this way to far. You know I don't love anyone but you. Besides, he has a girlfriend. Jessica; didn't you hear him on the phone?"

"Nope, I'm deaf and dumb." I took a deep breath and let it go. He could be mad all he wanted. I felt awful though…

"Jacob, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I hope you know I meant absolutely nothing by my behavior towards that utterly plain person." He loosened up a little though he didn't say anything.

"So guess what?" I said after a moment. He tilted his head in my direction a fraction of an inch.

"Hm?"

"That whole trip to the elementary school playground, it was completely spontaneous and unplanned." His deep laughter filled my ears.

"I knew it."

"Yeah, perhaps I'm not as good at lying as I could be."

"Psh, I could see right through you."

"I doubt that. I know I had you fooled."

"Sure, sure," he muttered easily. I smiled.

"I hope he doesn't tell Charlie."

"Yeah, that would kinda suck."

"Well atleast we know not to park the car in front of our next trespassing site." I said teasingly.

"You know, I think I had more fun running from the law today than I had eating over priced pizza in a dark, crowded restaurant." I giggled.

"Running from the law was pretty fun." I agreed.

"Perhaps we could roll Newton's house for our next date…"

"Okay, but only if I get a picture of his face."

"Hell, I think it'd break your camera." He smiled cynically. I rolled my eyes.

"Why do you dislike him so much?"

"Another time." He replied aggressively. I let it go. I would ask Auntie Rose or Mom.

We were home now, just sitting in the car outside the garage. I knew everyone in the house was listening to our conversation, but that was nothing new. Privacy was something unknown to me. It was a moot point though; when you lived with vampires and werewolves your whole life you got used to not having anything kept to yourself. I pulled the key from the ignition and handed Jacob the keychain. As we entered the house I saw Esme and Mom sitting on the couch pouring over an interior renovation catalogue with Rose. Emmett and Seth were watching horse-racing on the flat screen. Dad was sitting at the piano bench, playing softly. Alice and Jasper were upstairs, and Carlisle was at the hospital.

I walked into the kitchen with Jacob and saw a fresh vase of Monkshood sitting on the counter, the delicate petals clinging to the stems. A silver dagger lay beside the arrangement of flowers. I shook my head.

"It appears as though Rosalie is trying to convey a message." I said softly, a little sad that she and Jacob couldn't get along better. His strong arms pulled me into a hug and I leaned my head on his muscled chest. His body temperature was always so much higher than mine, as though he had a fever. I breathed in his scent and smiled, feeling secure and safe.

"Don't worry," he sighed. "I'm not goin' anywhere." And I knew he wouldn't. I didn't think that there was a force on this Earth that would keep me and my Jacob away from each other. We would live happily ever after. Until Dad found out about the trespassing incident and grounded me. But until then, we would live happily ever after.

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**Well, I hope you enjoyed the story. If it isn't obvious, this is the last chapter, so I hope you liked it. Thanks for reading.**

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**Until Next Time**

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**Little Orange Frog  
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